New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) As a controversy has erupted over a G20 dinner invite that refers to Droupadi Murmu as the “President of Bharat”, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday said it was an “immature reaction” by the ruling BJP to the opposition naming its alliance INDIA.
“This is very strange…. It is the Constitution of India. That is how the country has been known for centuries and that is how we have inherited our independent India. In the first article of the Constitution, we say, ‘India, that is Bharat, which is a union of states’,” the Left leader said.
“Our diversity, plurality — everything is included in this. Why are they making this change? Are they aggrieved by the fact that a secular opposition has come together under the nomenclature of INDIA? Is that their problem? We do not know why they hate India so much,” he added.
Pointing out that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), IITs and IIMs also have the word “India” in their names, Yechury said, “Then you have Indo-Pacific…. What are they making this change for?” He said it is clear that the reaction came as the opposition has named its grouping INDIA — Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance.
“This is the destruction of the Constitution of India…. It is a very immature reaction,” the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader said.
Invitations for the G20 dinner have been sent out by Murmu, describing her position as the “President of Bharat” instead of the customary “President of India”, triggering a massive furore on Tuesday, with the opposition alleging that the Narendra Modi government is planning to drop India and stay with just Bharat as the country’s name.
Demands for changing the name of the country from “India” to “Bharat” have been raised by several ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the past. PTI AO RC
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